Thursday, June 19, 2008

The Return/Debut of Linkmaster Smith

Hello Shakers!

I like that. Shakers. You know how most Broadway musicals have named fan bases? For example; RENT has "rent-heads," Altar Boys has “Altarholics,” and Xanadu has "the 'Du Cru?" Well I think our fan base for Cal Shakes should be named Shakers*.

Anyways, HI! I'm Derek Smith. I started at Cal Shakes as an intern for Artistic Learning, then went on to work with the New Works/New Communities Program. Now with my internship finished, I'm the official new 2-Week Camp Coordinator for Artistic Learning. You may recognize me from the Cal Shakes Intern Blog where I would discuss things like events in Musical Theatre, 80's fashion and my life as an intern at Cal Shakes. Recently I left the Intern Blog to join this new, professional blog and I feel welcomed and comfy! But this blog is going to be different. I'm movin' on up in the company so now I've gotta be professional! So I'm not gonna talk about unimportant things like Broadway or Project Runway. I'm getting serious and strictly talking about things like Shakespeare and inner company workings. Crunching numbers and Patrick Stewart kind of gig. Like Anne Hathaway to Meryl Streep type ah stuff.

For example: If this were that raggedy old intern blog, I'd talk about the fact that IN THE HEIGHTSwon BEST MUSICAL at the TONYS on Sunday!!!!! And In case you were wondering: Yes, I DID call that it would be the one to watch this season at the bottom of this blog. I’d probably also talk about how much I LOVED Patti LuPone’s acceptance speech for Lead Female and how intrigued I am by Sunday in the Park With George. I also might have confessed that the RENT reunion performance may have made me shed a few tears.I’d also talk about the fact that I picked up the cast recording of Xanadu yesterday and how I think Cheyenne Jackson is God’s gift to musical theatre.

Then I’d definitely post a video like this one:

VIDEOoftheWEEK

Sweatin’ to Sondheim! A Musical Theatre Workout

Okay but in all professional seriousness, I wanted to create a list that described all the things that are different now that I’m an employee and not an intern:

1. I have my own interns which is the WEIRDEST thing in the world

2. I am in the office every day as opposed to once a week.

3. I get these weird envelopes every other week that have all these numbers on them. I stopped opening them cause I didn’t understand.

*With complete knowledge and understanding that The Shakers are a prominent, well-respected religious group; these two "Shakers" are definitely not the same thing. But that doesn't mean that California Shakespeare Theatre doesn't love and respect the Shakers, as California Shakespeare Theatre loves all Americans and America (including Puerto Rico).

**Which is embarrassing to play in the office so I bring my earphones and tell everyone that I’m going into “internal mode” so that I can listen to Andrea McArdle sing about the day to come.